1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an agricultural harvester and, more particularly, to an axial flow combine having a threshing section in overlying relation to a cleaning section.
2. Prior Art
Combines are currently being marketed using a processor having a foraminous cylindrical cage in which a rotor is coaxially disposed. The processor or cleaning section of such prior art combine is disposed within a housing disposed above a cleaning section and has an overhanging part which extends beyond one lateral side of the cleaning section. In order to move threshed material from the bottom of the overhanging part of the processor housing to a slot above a pair of accelerated rolls, such prior are combine uses two distribution augers on parallel axes spaced from one another in the longitudinal direction of the combine. Such a prior art combine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,081 issued Dec. 25, 1979 to J. Lyle Shaver for Distribution Augers for an Axial Flow Combine.
In the prior art combine shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,781 issued July 6, 1982 to Charles F. Brundage for Roller Support for Cage Sweep Mechanism, the foraminous cage and rotor are enclosed in a housing with front and rear walls relatively close to the cage. Also, axially extending reinforcing ribs are used on the outer side of the cage which tended to catch the threshed material passing through the radial openings in the upper part of the cage preventing it from sliding down the outside of the cage to the pair of distribution augers below the cage. In order to move the threshed material from the exterior top and sides of the cage, a cage sweep with curved fingers is used as shown in the beforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,781.